1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sports balls or other projectiles, and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for recording the path of travel of a sports ball or other projectile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a sports ball is used, it often travels too fast for a person to carefully follow its path of travel. Yet an accurate following of its path of travel might be helpful to the person to improve one's performance. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided which enabled an accurate following of the path of travel of a sports ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,545 discloses a video system for determining a location of a body in flight. The body in flight can be a golf ball. A pair of ground-based video cameras are employed, along with image capturing and image processing equipment. Although this system provides a number of useful features, this system does not provide and record images that would be seen by the body in flight if the body in flight included a video camera. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that provides and records images that would be seen by a body in flight if the body in flight included a video camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,439 discloses a camera system that is mounted in an airplane. An airplane is not a projectile in the sense that a sports ball is. An airplane is self-powered, whereas a sports ball is a projectile that provides none of its own power. In this respect, it would be desirable if a projectile, such as a sports ball, included its own on-board video camera. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,439 discloses a camera which records images on film which is on-board the airplane. For a sports ball that includes its own on-board video camera, it would not be necessary to include on-board film.
As a matter of interest, the following U.S. patents disclose cameras in a number of unusual settings, none of which include a sports ball: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,289,557, 4,864,333, and 6,357,936.
For a camera that is on board a sports ball, some additional features would be desirable. For example, it would be desirable for an on-board camera system for a sports ball to include a transmitter for transmitting images to a ground station.
Sports balls are impacted in order to project them. Such impacts may cause damage to video camera system that is on-board the sports ball. In this respect, it would be desirable if a video camera system on-board a sports ball included shock protection.
For a sports ball that includes an on-board video camera system that transmits images to a ground station, it would be desirable if the ground station includes a receiver and image capturing and image processing equipment. In this respect, it would be desirable if images could be viewed on a monitor in real-time and can be captured and viewed and reviewed at a later time.
When a sports ball traverses a trajectory, it often spins. To help provide images that can be viewed without such spin, it would be desirable if a gyroscopic stabilizer system were provided for the sports ball. As an adjunct to a gyroscopic stabilizer system, or as an alternative to a gyroscopic stabilizer system, it would be desirable if the image capturing and image processing equipment in the ground station were provided with image processing features to correct for image spin.
A sports ball that is projected has both a projector and a target. In this respect, it would be desirable if a sports ball and camera apparatus provided a rear-facing camera that transmits images of the sports ball as is moves away from the projector and has a front-facing camera that transmits images of the sports ball as it moves towards the target.
Stated somewhat differently, it would be desirable if a sports projectile and camera apparatus were provided that transmits and records images that the ball would see if the ball had eyes.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use to follow the trajectory of a projectile, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a sports projectile and camera apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) enables an accurate following of the path of travel of a sports ball; (2) provides and records images that would be seen by a body in flight if the body in flight includes a video camera; (3) includes its own on-board video camera; (4) is not necessary to include on-board film; (5) includes a transmitter for transmitting images to a ground or base station; (6) includes shock protection; (7) provides a ground or base station which includes a receiver and image capturing and image processing equipment; (8) provides images which can be viewed on a monitor in real-time and can be captured and viewed and reviewed at a later time; (9) can have a gyroscopic stabilizer system; (10) can be provided with image processing features to correct for image spin; (11) can provide a rear-facing camera that transmits images of the sports ball as is moves away from the projector and can provide a front-facing camera that transmits images of the sports ball as it moves towards a target; and (12) transmits and records images that the ball would see if the ball had eyes. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique sports projectile and camera apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.